Outlaws Move Closer to Championship Weekend

As the home stretch to Championship Weekend becomes shorter, competition around the league grows fiercer. The Chesapeake Bayhawks are the sole team to have clinched a playoff spot, meaning only three of the four teams—including the Denver Outlaws—who remain in playoff contention will earn a trip to Boston. Recognizing the tight situation, the Outlaws have increased their overall team performance and won four consecutive games.

Denver’s most recent victory came against the Hamilton Nationals in Ontario, Canada this past Saturday. The Outlaws dominated to a 21-12 win through an effort by the league’s most explosive offense. Jordan McBride finished with six goals and two assists, Brendan Mundorf added five points, and Jeremy Sieverts earned four. Perhaps most notable for fans and coaching staff alike was rookie Mark Matthews whose three goals and two assists proved he can compete and continue to improve at the highest caliber of lacrosse.
Jesse Schwartzman played the full sixty minutes of the game, but allowed Hamilton to score twelve points on twenty-four shots. Fortunately for both Schwartzman and the Outlaws’ defense, the Nationals’ struggled offensively as only Joe Walters (3 goals, 2 assists) and Kevin Crowley (4 goals, 3 assists) contributed more than two points.

Although the Outlaws’ latest win placed them atop the MLL alongside the Chesapeake Bayhawks, they were unable to clinch a playoff spot due to individual wins by the Long Island Lizards, Rochester Rattlers, and Boston Cannons on Saturday. The Outlaws must win at least one of their final two games against either the Rochester Rattlers on August 4th or the Chesapeake Bayhawks on August 11th in order to earn a trip to Championship Weekend.

Tune in to Altitude 2 to watch the Denver Outlaws in their final regular-season games as they fight to make it one step closer to the Steinfeld Cup.